


Crushing Up

by 1280x720



Category: Love Live! School Idol Project, Love Live! Sunshine!!
Genre: Attempt at Humor, Eventual chikayouriko, F/F, Fluff, Gay Sakurauchi Riko, High School, Light Angst, Multi, OT3, Onesided YouRiko, Pining, Polyamory, Post-Canon, Pre-OT3, Romance, chikayou, gay takami, gay watanabe, like a pine tree
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-22
Updated: 2019-03-22
Packaged: 2019-08-27 12:34:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,737
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16702660
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/1280x720/pseuds/1280x720
Summary: Having a crush on Watanabe You was like acquiring a liking for chocolate ice cream; unsurprising, inevitable, and probably applicable to 87% of the population. Still didn't make it suck any less when she was in a loving, happy relationship with her bestfriend, Takami Chika. Follow Riko on her journey to satiate her pining thirst for one (or maybe both?) of her best friends while feeling horrible about it, because all of their precious feelings are at stake in the midst of it all.





	1. Oops

**Author's Note:**

> hey y'all, this is my first fic in a long time so please roast lightly... (constructive criticism is my kink). This was intended to be a oneshot angsty pining fic, but I decided why the hell not leave some room for expansion and make it an ot3. I really love the dynamic between these three idiots, and I hope i can do them better justice in the future. Uploads will probably be long and spread out hsjfg depending on how often an idea pops into my head 
> 
> Not the best writer, but doing this has been very fun and i hope to continue in a somewhat timely manner! im in college so blease bear w me ... 
> 
> Enjoy u///u

Crushes are a pain in the ass.

 

Being emotionally vulnerable to the thoughts and actions of another person is always an exhausting ordeal to be caught in, no matter whom you ask.

 

Even so, it’s undeniable that in some ways, crushes give our life a purpose, something—or rather someone—to look forward to everyday. 

 

These were just a few of the speculations Riko consoled herself with on late, sleepless nights.

 

* * *

 

Walking down the hallways of her new high school, Riko’s heart sunk at the sounds of giggling and laughter that pierced through her senses like an unforgiving blunt butter knife. They were too loud to be from anyone other than the two people who seemed to dominate her daily emotional fluctuations as of late. And it wasn’t even 9 am yet. Baking in the annoyingly happy rays that shone through the hallway windows, she pulled herself forward.

 

Absolutely dreading every second, Riko approached the source of the noise, her homeroom class, and gingerly slid the door open. 

 

“Chika! Stop that, it hurts!” You’s amused cries were slightly muffled by the force of Chika pulling on both of her plump cheeks.

 

“WoooOOOooo I can’t help it You-chan! You’re so cute! And soft!~” 

 

Chika smiled brightly, tugging a few more times before submitting to the the platinum blond’s wishes by retrieving her impatient hands and replacing them with her lips. Two pecks on each abused cheek. In any other mindset, Riko would’ve found the sight sickeningly adorable. 

 

You yelped and hid her heating face behind her hands. She may have been dating Chika for a good month now, but she was nowhere near beginning to get used to the amount of PDA ‘Normal Monster Chika-chi’ was willing to provide. 

 

_ ‘Thirty three days,’  _ Riko thought,  _ ‘they’re still dating.’ _

 

The pianist did not dislike many things. She always prided herself on being a practical person with a nice dose of reasonable optimism when the situation deemed it necessary. Aqours had helped her immensely in that aspect. Joining the idol group with some of what turned out to be her most precious companions changed her in ways she would always be grateful for. 

__

Yes, there were very few things she disliked. Still, one of those things—a fairly recent one added to the list— seemed to have ingrained itself so deep into Riko’s core she was afraid she would simmer up and burn every time a scene like the one in front her presented itself. 

__

_ She disliked Chika for having the courage to do what she could not have done in a million years. _

__

Chika, a girl she considered to be a close friend, perhaps even a  _ best friend _ , had stolen her chances of being romantically involved with You.

__

She should feel happy for them. She shouldn't feel as if something valuable was unjustly taken from her. It wasn’t right to treat You as if she were some grand prize awarded to the fittest contestant, and it wasn’t right to dislike Chika for being her usual, warm and charming self. She wished her mind wouldn't wander to such places.

__

It was difficult to pinpoint the exact moment when she began to feel the way she did towards the girl with cerulean, shining eyes. Once she had been pulled in, it was nearly impossible for her to crawl back out. Not surprising, to say the least. It was a well known fact that You was very popular with everyone—seriously  _ everyone _ . She just had a contagious, joyous energy about her that was capable of brightening anyone’s mood; some would say much like Chika, without the constant cluelessness. Trying to decipher it all didn’t even matter, bottom line: she had a big fat crush on the goddamn swimmer.

 

Reminiscing about her past interactions with You was a hobby of hers now.

  
  


_ “Riko-chan! That sounds amazing!” _

_ Riko was startled, letting it show by the sudden slamming of her hands on the piano she was currently playing in the music room. “Y-You-chan!… I didn’t hear you come in.” _

_ You smiled at her apologetically, scratching the back of her neck in a way that made the amber eyed pianist’s heart flutter.  “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to scare you! I just overheard you playing while I was heading over to the courtyard and, well… I just had to come tell you it sounded really good.” _

_ Riko’s cheeks felt unnaturally hot as she turned her body towards the platinum blond behind her. “Ah, that’s alright,” she cleared her suddenly dry throat, “I’m glad you enjoyed it. I think this is one of my favorite pieces so far.”  _

_ God was she sweating? _

_ “Everyone will be so impressed when they hear it, you have true talent y’know,” You reached over and placed her right hand on her friend’s shoulder, “and y’know what else? I think you’ve just inspired me to sketch out some really cool outfit ideas that’ll fit this song. You’re a life-saver Riko-chan!” _

_ With a final wink and a squeeze to her embarrassingly heated collarbone, You dashed out of the room, leaving Riko to pant softly like a fool. _

It was just weird really. For the longest time, Riko thought You disliked her. It wasn’t hard to notice how upset her blue eyes would seem every time Chika engaged with Riko during the weeks after she had just moved to Numazu City. Even as the three of them grew closer with Aqours’ advancement, Riko never imagined that You would ever label her as anything more than Chika’s good friend, the one she had to get along with for Chika’s sake. She never thought she would ever develop feelings so strong for someone who clearly had romantic interest for no one else but Aqours’ lively leader. 

You Watanabe had a way of surprising her like that.

  
  


_ “Riko-chan, I need to tell you something— something I don’t think I’ve ever told you before. It’s really important.” _

_ You looked serious leaning on the edge of the windowsill, as if she wanted to confide something in Riko that would change the dynamic of their friendship severely. It might have been the weight of them being alone in one of Uranohoshi’s (now empty) rooms, wearing their school uniform for the last time, but the slightly taller girl was suddenly wracked with nerves. Her palms became clammy, her body temperature unnaturally warm, and her speech raspy. In her mind, she played out one of the hundreds of scenarios she would often imagine when she thought about how the swimmer would finally tell her off. She had hoped You could have tolerated their friendship for a bit longer. In any case, she braced herself. _

_ “What is it Watanabe-san?” Riko’s lips pressed into a firm line as she tried her best not to look defeated. ‘It’s better to start distancing myself now.’ she thought. _

_ You raised an eyebrow at Riko’s sudden use of formalities, but she waved it off as some sort of inside joke she had forgotten about. Looking directly into the solemn eyes of her friend she exclaimed, “Riko,” and then, with a beaming smile that challenged every light source in existence, “I LOVE YOU SOOOOOOO MUCH!” _

_ “…!” _

_ It was fascinating, how someone’s heart could be so full and so broken all at once.  _

_ Full, because You had just said the three—in this case five— words that she was too insecure to direct towards the blond. Words that meant so much, including the confirmation that between them lay no resentful feelings at all. It was just the two of them in that empty classroom, there was no social pressure to be polite. It was a gesture she longed for, something Riko had only dreamed about, and yet… _

_ Broken, because she knew You did not love her the same way she did.  _

_ And she probably never would. _

 

* * *

A slight shove on her shoulder woke Riko from her reminiscing. How long had she been standing there?

“Riko-chan! Hellooo! I’ve been trying to tell you something for the past 3 hours!”

“Pffsh, more like 3 seconds.” You giggled at her girlfriend’s impatience. 

Blinking her eyes and shaking her head in an effort to wake the hell up, she spoke in her usual demeanor, “Ah, Good morning you two, I’m sorry! I guess I was daydreaming. What is it Chika-chan?” She hoped she seemed convincing enough, she wasn’t lying after all.

“I wanted to ask you a question!” Chika exclaimed with her usual cheeriness, “You-chan and I were planning to go for a swim on the beach after school! It’s so nice and warm today, do you wanna come?”

You’s shoulders visibly tensed and her soft smile faded the slightest bit. Riko was sure Chika hadn’t noticed—if her pleading puppy eyes were any indication—but Riko’s heart nearly turned in on itself, because she did. It was obvious the proposal had caused You some discomfort, and it was just as obvious what she had to do.

“That sounds really nice, but I think I’ll have to pass. I have a lot of work to do today. You guys have fun though.” She spoke calmly, with a forced half-grin playing on her lips. 

You’s tension seemed to leave her body, but it was short-lived. Chika huffed, and in a fit of impulse grabbed both of Riko’s arms and pulled her close.

“Aww c’mon don't turn it down! Lately you’ve been so distant with us and I really wanna hang out with you outside of school like we always used to, please come! I can help with your work!” Being too shocked to respond immediately, You took the liberty of speaking in Riko’s place. 

“Chika, she already said she was busy, just leave her alone. Good luck with all the work Riko-chan.” 

“But You-cha-”

“Come on, homeroom is about to end anyway.” With a last side glance at the taller girl, You brushed her bangs out of her eyes and headed towards her assigned homeroom seat expecting Chika to follow suit. Chika simply sighed and gave her friend a sad smile. “Alright another time then. Text me later?” she crossed her arms.

It was really unlike her to give up so quickly, but perhaps she was not as oblivious to the situation as Riko had thought. The corners of the pianist’s mouth turned up the slightest amount in an effort to conceal her distress. “Text you later.” she replied softly.

With that, Chika seemed satisfied and gave her a firm nod to confirm it.

 

* * *

The day went on normally. 

Twenty or so minutes before recess, Riko felt a familiar vibration from her side pocket. It was her phone notifying her she had received a text message. Surely Yoshiko had gotten lost in the halls again, a thought she contemplated with a soft grunt. Usually she would ignore it until class was over, but she wasn’t feeling too keen on following classroom protocol today; Mrs. Yamabuki’s history lesson wasn’t all that interesting anyway. 

She discreetly freed the cell phone from her pocket and held it under her desk, for once being grateful for a seat towards the back of the class. Pulling down the notifications screen, she almost choked upon reading the sender’s name.

_ New Message from: You-chan (boat emoji) _

_ ‘Crap!’ _  The contents of the message were yet unknown to her, but she’d bet Yoshiko’s hair accessories it wasn’t anything pleasant. Her heart sped up to levels that were almost uncomfortable, and she could feel her pores opening as cold sweat threatened to pour out of them. Groaning softly, she chewed on the fingernails of her free hand and opened the message. 

_ You-chan (boat emoji):  _

_ can we talk in a few? _

Riko wanted to curl up and die. She loathed confrontation, but it’s not as if she could decline.

_ Me: _

_ ya sure _

_ meet where? _

Her eyes stung.

_ You-chan (boat emoji): _

_ music room, empty during reces  _

_ recess* _

_ Me: _

_ kk _

_ im sorry about this morn _ —

Riko decided to omit that last part of the message, she figured there would be plenty of that in their meeting later.

“Sakurauchi-san, eyes up front please.”

This day just kept getting better.

 

* * *

“Walk in, listen, apologize and walk out. Easy. No way you can mess this up.” Riko took it upon herself to try and calm her nerves with a pep talk as she neared the music room. She was lucky to even be near her destination so early; Mrs. Yamabuki had let her off with a warning given her clean behavior record. Feeling an odd sense of deja-vu creep over her, she slowly slid the door open upon reaching it.

The swimmer was already in there waiting for her, one hand scratching her cheek and the other placed firmly on her hip. Her eyes widened when she noticed Riko enter, but she quickly regained her composure.

“Took ya long enough.” You grinned playfully, crossing her arms and shifting her weight as she tried, and somewhat succeeded, to ease the immediate tension in the room. Riko was eternally grateful.

“I knew you would wait.” the pianist replied with a wit of her own; albeit against her 4 step plan. You snorted at that, but before continuing on with their very short banter, she stopped herself and cleared her throat. She had called Riko here for a reason.

“So I uh, took this opportunity—since Chika’s busy right now being council president and all— to talk to you...about something.” They were both silent for a minute, then You continued with a little more confidence, “I know Chika really values your friendship a lot, and she was the first person you became super close to when you just moved here so, you guys have that special bond or whatever...but...” The blond inhaled deeply and sighed, rubbing her forehead. It turns out speaking from your insecurities isn’t all that simple.

Noticing her discomfort though, Riko stepped in, “Is this about...this morning?” Her yellow eyes pleaded she would just get it over with.

The swimmer seemed taken aback with the sudden knowledge  that Riko had taken notice of her emotions that morning. Full fledged embarrassment immediately followed.  “W-well, no—I mean not no but—I—” she huffed out another deep sigh and tried to calm herself. Riko thought a flushed face really suited her. Had she not been so distracted, she would’ve been able to piece together the point You was trying to make.

“I’m...I’m sorry... If I was rude this morning.”

_ ‘What? She doesn't have to be sorry about something so small.’ _

“You-chan you-”

“Wait please,” the blond inhaled deeply, “let me... finish before I forget what I wanna say..”  

Riko only nodded softly.

“I really am sorry, I mean,  _ of course _ I’d want you to and hang out with us. It would make me happy, it would  _ definitely  _ make Chika happy, and I’m guessing it would have made you happy too!” You’s voice took on a clear tone of frustration at the end of her sentence. Rubbing her temples, she continued. “In my head, it’s all fine and it all makes sense but- agh… I don't know why I feel..” 

“...feel?’

You pursed her lips, “I don’t know why I feel like a third wheel with my own girlfriend every time the three of us hang out.”

Sunlit eyes widened in surprised confusion. She wasn’t an idiot. She knew exactly what You was getting at right now, but she pressed on anyway just to be sure; what the hell, she’s gotten this far. 

“What are you talking about?”

You’s posture hardened, and her eyes narrowed the slightest bit. “You’re really gonna make me say it.” 

A statement, not a question. You wasn’t an idiot either, she knew her message had gotten across loud and clear. 

“I think Chika likes you.” 

The oxygen in the room must’ve seeped out of every crack and crevice, because it was suddenly very hard to breathe. Chika? Like her? Did the swimmer really not see the stupid love struck face the orange popsicle head would make every time You’s name was mentioned. The way she dropped everything and stood at attention as soon as You was in sight?

“That’s not even-”

“Do you like Chika?” 

Riko was noticeably taken aback, her spine straightened to it’s full length as she took a swift stride backwards. You’s furrowed brows didn’t help with her frazzled nerves. It was just impossible to fathom that You could’ve picked up any signs of romantic affection from Riko towards Chika, but it was now clear that she wasn’t in the slightest aware of  the pianist’s VERY obvious feelings. You couldn’t possibly think that Riko offering to fix loose strands of her hair all the time was a normal thing, right?

“Really?” she crossed her arms and looked at her classmate dead in the eye, “There is no way I could ever like Chika and you know it - no offense- we’re too different. I’ve always valued our, PLATONIC friendship very dearly, and I would never do or let myself feel anything that would ruin it.” 

She didn’t let it show, but she was pretty proud of herself for speaking for more than 5 seconds. 

You was scowling now, she was the type to get easily frustrated in heated situations. “Well! Even if that’s true it doesn’t take away from the fact that you’re always daydreaming and looking in our direction when we’re together - YEAH I’ve noticed!” she took a calming breath, “You always find some sort of excuse not to hang out with us when you know I’m gonna be there. Ever since Chika and I started dating you’ve just been avoiding me and hanging with her. Not to mention the history you guys already have- ugh it’s just- if you put it all together it really doesn’t add up to be all that platonic!”

Scratch that, You was an idiot. Riko was at a loss, in between a rock and a hard place as they say.  She could keep denying, but even if she was stuck to the truth she knew You would always have doubts; something she could probably never let go of. The other option was of course, to tell her the other truth… one with an uncertain outcome. Sadly, she didn’t have the time to think it through. In a way, she knew what was about to happen was inevitable. 

“Whatever, I think this whole thing was just… a mistake.” You, being fed up with Riko’s silence started to head towards the door.

“You-chan! Wait!” Riko forced herself out of her stiff position, reaching out for You’s arm. 

You sighed and gave Riko a warning glance from behind her shoulder. “Let go Riko.”  Unsurprisingly, this prompted the slightly taller girl to grip the other’s bicep tighter, a feat she tried not to let herself enjoy in that moment. 

“You’re right. I have been acting very suspicious lately, and I understand why you think… I may have feelings for Chika but…” 

She averted her eyes as she felt a very cliche pink hue start to form on her cheeks. It was too much, her whole body felt like it was going to implode. She gruffed and turned her whole face away from the person who had been causing her to act like a fool for all this time. 

“But?” You was intrigued now, Riko was behaving quite strangely and it was oddly endearing.

“You-chan, haven’t I always avoided you in some shape or form long before you started dating Chika, and how many times have you caught me staring at you like some weirdo long before that too? Don’t you find it a  _ little  _ weird everytime I make up any ridiculous excuse to touch you or your hair? Should I keep going?” Riko still refused to look at You. 

You turned around so that she was facing Riko. She cupped her in chin in confusion and stared blankly for a bit as the cogs in her brain turned slowly, and then quickly. Her blue eyes were wider than frisbees as she made a sound akin to choking on air.

“W-wait,” she laughed nervously, “so you- you’re saying that you stare at us all the time because… because you...”

“Yes.”

“And you avoid me because-”

“Mhm.”

“A-and the person you daydream about-”

“Yeah.”

“Becauseifitsnotchikathatyoulikethenits-”

“...yep.”

None of them knew what to say really. The only thing they both expressed was the burning blush on both of their pale faces. You cleared her throat a few times and played with the hem of her skirt. She felt like an asshole for practically forcing Riko to come clean with her feelings the way she did. In her defense, she thought there was a greater chance Shiitake was female than of Riko ever liking- oh.  Riko simply kept admiring the wall beside her; the paint job was hideous. 

“Riko…” You decided to break the silence, but she had hoped she had more than just a name to say.

The pianist sighed and hugged herself a little tighter. “I-I, have things to do.” Challenging the own athlete’s speed, she ran out of the music room like her life depended on it. Ahh she couldn’t wait to retrieve the pint of ice cream and box of tissues that were ready for her at home after school.

“Riko-chan!” If she wanted to, she could’ve caught up to her with minimal effort, but it really felt like letting her go was the best option.

“Riko…”

What the hell was she gonna do now?


	2. Is it Big Enough

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I LIVE. Made this kind of a long one to make up for the absence!!! As I mentioned, school is up my butt and updates will be irregular, but thank you all so much for the support on the first chapter sobs ilysm! Sit back, grab your snacks henny because we're in for a ride on cliche feels road.  
> p.s. bls forgive any grammatical/spelling errors this was very loosely edited (ｏ´_｀ｏ)  
> p.s.s. i am not ashamed of the tomato line (just a tad) , you'll see it when you get there.

“...dang.”

 

Chika just stared up at her bedroom ceiling as she and You lay next to each other on her rug.

 

“Yeah I… I don’t know what to do now. I feel like I messed up really bad this time.”

 

You had just given her girlfriend a rundown of the events that had occurred earlier, being  hopeful that she could provide some guidance on how to proceed. She felt that apologizing to Riko wouldn’t be enough to change the heavy air of awkwardness that would undoubtedly settle itself around them if they were to interact again. The thought of their friendship continuing on like that was something she couldn’t even stomach. She was never able to fully bask in the joy of her new relationship with Chika because she had noticed the walls Riko had built up soon after they had shared the news. Of course, it all made sense _now_ , but that didn’t make it any easier to swallow.

 

“Honestly You-chan, ya kinda did.” Chika sat up and turned towards her, awaiting a very predictable reaction.

 

Expectedly, You huffed and crossed her arms, “Thank you for the emotional support! Despite everything, Riko-chan is very special to me you know, you can’t joke at a time like this!”

 

Chika simply chuckled and stared at her girlfriend with a deep look in her crimson eyes. It was a very rare thing to see.

“Chika?”

 

“You-chan, it’s really dumb of you to think that you’re third wheeling when the three of us are together. You know Riko-chan and I care about you too much for something like that to be true.”

 

The swimmer blushed and turned away, feeling the immense intensity of Chika’s stare in combination with her words. “Well, I know that now.”

 

“I, still am sorry you felt that way… I think we- I mean I- should do a better job of showing you how much you mean to me.” Leave it up to Chika to be completely frank with her feelings. The platinum blonde couldn’t help but feel a twinge of guilt forming in her chest.

 

“Chika... Of course it isn’t that. You know I get a little insecure at times with the whole... Riko situation. I was so sure there was something else there, I mean she’s so pretty and kind- oh AND talented, she seems to understand you so well, I think it’d be pretty hard not to fall for someone like that.”

 

You bit her lip at how praises for Riko seemed to flow freely out of her mouth. She questioned it, but it was quickly suppressed in the back of her mind.

 

“The thought of her maybe having feelings for you too was just..”

 

Chika rolled her eyes and flicked the swimmer on her forearm.

 

“OW! Hey!”

 

“I guess all athletes are this dense after all huh?” she smirked, “ Yeah, Riko-chan is all those things, but you know all that can be said about you too right? Dummy. And that being the case, _yes_ , it was _super_ hard not to fall for you You-chan.”

 

A shit eating grin from Chika made You a flustered mess; one day, she swore, she’d be prepared for this level of spontaneous honesty. The moment unfortunately, was short lived.

 

“With that logic you’re still agreeing that falling for Riko would be a breeze.” You teased.

 

Chika’s expression went solemn as she hugged her knees loosely. You knew her well enough to know there was something she wanted to say, but it was probably something that needed a delicate introduction to be palatable.

 

“What is it Chi-chan?” the swimmer tried her best to use the soothing low tone she knew Chika liked.

 

She was too deep in thought to appreciate it though.

 

“I think that maybe,” she touched You’s forearm, “deep down there could be another reason you didn't want Riko to come swimming with us today. And... maybe a reason why I couldn’t stop being disappointed about it 6 hours later...”

 

“...Huh?”

 

“...”

 

It was the mandarin head’s turn to sport some color on her face as she meticulously stroked circles on You’s arm, refusing to make eye contact. You simply held her breath.

 

“Do you think that maybe… you…”

 

“..?”

 

The amount of awkward silences the swimmer had experienced in single day was increasingly concerning. Aqours’ former leader sighed and rubbed her face, regaining her usual demeanor alarmingly quick. She swung an arm around You’s collarbone and nuzzled her cheek.

 

“Nevermind~ I can’t remember what I was trying to say anyway, heehee~”

 

“Oi! You can’t just forget what you’re saying mid sentence, it sounded impor- AH! HAHAhahHA NO!”

 

Say whatever you want about a Takami, but they were masters of deflection and diversion, effortlessly veering your attention to anything but the topic at hand. Chika made sure use her girlfriend’s weakness to its full potential: her belly.

 

“He he~ You’ve always been really ticklish right … here!” Chika’s digints roamed the Watanabe **™** abdomen without restraint. It was a privilege very few would ever get to experience in their lifetime, one that our fellow popsicle head never took for granted.

 

“C-CHIKA HAHA, NO!”

 

It was safe to assume neither of them remembered what they were supposed to be discussing in the first place. At least for the moment. A few pounding  knocks on Chika’s door shocked them out of their blissful daze.

 

“CHIKA! You’s mom called, she wants her home soon!”

 

It was none other than Mito Takami’s robust calls on the other side of the door. You scrambled away from Chika towards her bag, retrieving her phone and checking for any missed calls. Sure enough, 4 missed calls from ‘Mom’ popping against her phone’s wallpaper.

 

Chika groaned loudly enough for her sister to hear and scrunched her eyebrows, “Mito-ne! You don’t have to yell at the door, just open it and speak calmly like a decent person!”

 

“Ha! You’re one to talk brat! Who knows what gross things I don’t wanna know about are going on in there? Hurry up and let her out! Shima is starting the car.”

 

The swimmer giggled at the sisters’ banter. The inn was always so energetic and rowdy, especially in comparison to her own home. It was one of the many reasons this was one of her favorite places to spend time with her girlfriend. She collected her things and straightened out her uniform, preparing for departure.

 

“I guess I’ll be off. Don’t stay up too late weirdo.”

 

“Ah! Youcchi, I’ll walk you out!”

 

The youngest Takami sprang up in a flash and escorted You out of the Inn and safely into Shima-ne’s car. As she waved goodbye to the withdrawing truck, she noticed the swimmer look back and give a half hearted wave in return. Now that she thought about it, You had looked a bit tense as she left. Her cerulean eyes shone worry and confusion, more so than she had walked in with it seemed. She even forgot to kiss her goodnight.

 

But Chika knew why.

 

Dodging Mito’s prying questions, she returned to her room and gingerly closed the door behind her. Reaching for her phone she opened the messaging app and got to work.

 

_Message to: (heart emoji) Youchiiiiiiii (heart emoji):_

_(pensive emoji) sorry i wasn’t too much help tonight_

_with_

_the riko thing_

 

The Takami Distraction Method’s major flaw was that it was only temporary. Eventually, anyone with a functioning long term memory would free themselves from its effect. She bit her lip and pressed her phone to her chin, feeling quite useless.

 

_(heart emoji) Youchiiiiiiii (heart emoji):_

_heyy now_

_i really do feel better after talking to u chichan_

_and im glad youre always there 2 listen_

_._

_._

_._

_im sure we can figure sth out soon ! (boat emoji)_

She wasn’t surprised You was putting on a brave face. It was very much like her to instinctively protect others’ feelings before her own. Chika kicked herself for almost giving in to her guilty conscience earlier that night.  There were certain feelings brewing in her chest that she had wanted to share with the one person in the world that deserved to know, but at what cost? It was becoming clear that Chika was losing control of her own sweeping emotions; they have grown too strong and too significant to ignore any longer.  

If it wasn’t obvious enough, Chika Takami was terrified of vocalizing  that she may have some exponentially developing feelings for someone that was not a Watanabe. And yeah, that person was Riko Sakurauchi. And yeah, she hated herself for it.

 

She settled for a solution that at least gave her some time and room to improvise.

 

_Me:_

_ill talk to riko chan tomorrow_

 

* * *

 

That same night, things were taking a completely different turn just a few yards away in the Sakurauchi household.

 

“-and then she just looked at me as if she wanted to chew me up and spit me into a sewer, it was like being filleted with a blunt screw 37 times-”

 

The burgundy haired pile of sobbing mess lay in a fetal position under a large blanket on her bed, one hand clutching a cellphone to her ear and the other wiping snot from her nose. The voice on the other end of the line sighed audibly.

 

“You’re making it sound like she beat you up or something.” Yoshiko had been mid nap when she received her senior’s distress call.

 

“She might as well have! I would’ve preferred it… I’m sure she and Chikawill detest me for the rest of my life.”

 

It was hard not to feel bad for Riko, the ordeal she went through was straight out of a homosexual shojo manga. Yoshiko appreciated moments when Riko relied on her for emotional support, usually it was the other way around. She had to admit, when it came to comforting others, soft words and sound advice were rarely her forte. The goth lolita enthusiast decided to do what she did best: force her target to submit to her otherworldly essence.

 

“Riri-”

 

“Riri?”

 

“ -your master commands you to stop being so depressing. My subordinates aren’t weaklings, they feed off the sweet nectar of the dark evil, it’s enough to withstand any peril thrown by this mortal dimension!”

 

Riko sighed internally. Yoshiko’s voice had dropped about two octaves and her sentences were on the verge of delusional. Yohane was out of the sack tonight.

 

“Yoshi-”

 

“YO-HA-NE!”

 

“...Yohane… I don’t think you’re taking this seriously.” In any other situation, the pianist would have played along, enjoyed it even, but tonight she was simply drained. There was a slight pause at the other end, until the demon priestess spoke again.

 

“Riri, I think you’re the one taking it too seriously.”

 

“Huh?”

 

“Kekeke, so foolish of you to expend your strength worrying about an unlikely scenario. Yohane has trained you better. Remember that before anything, the mortals Watanabe and Takami are your friends- whatever that means. Natural human emotion is something even their measly minds can comprehend. You meant no malice, and anyone with two thirds of a cerebellum will notice such.”

 

Yoshiko breathed in deep and cleared her throat, every increasing second of silence confirming her inabilities more and more. On the other end however, Riko smiled softly and clutched her phone a little  tighter. She closed her eyes and let herself feel the softness of her sheets for a moment, breathing in the smell of floral detergent. Yohane was right, dare she admit. There was a slim chance it wasn’t the end of the world. Perhaps the trio had gone through enough together to make possible betrayal and conflicts of trust seem like a paper cut. Alright maybe it was time to stop thinking.

 

“Thank you, Yohane.”

 

The first year’s face was hot, the room was warm obviously. She composed herself before ‘Riri’ got any funny ideas, like thinking she was nice or something.

 

“Or, you could all PERISH! Succumb to the darkness under my domain and _despair_! Fear the great YO-”

 

“Good night Yoshiko-chan.”

 

Yohane was a handful, but tonight Yoshiko was more than enough emotional support Riko needed to sleep somewhat soundly that night.

 

If only that peace could have lasted all week.

 

* * *

 

The sun rose on a quiet inn.

 

The orange haired middle child of the bunch awoke from her deep slumber and sauntered towards the smell of food coming from the kitchen.

 

“Mitochi, did you feed Shiitake and the puppies already?”

 

Mito regarded her sister with a raised eyebrow as she leaned on their kitchen counter, still froggy with sleep. She always wondered how Shima could be up so early and still be completely calm, collected and put together as a functioning human being.

 

“I thought that was Chika’s job on Saturdays. Even when Mom is here.”

 

Shima stopped stirring their breakfast on the stovetop and focused her attention on her younger sibling.

 

“She hasn’t come down yet. Usually Shiitake’s whines are enough to drag her out of her room but…” she paused and turned her attention back to the food, “when I drove You-chan back home last night, she was very quiet. And she looked… troubled.”

 

Shima’s crimson eyes were obviously laced with worry, and that was always an unsettling thing to see. She had noticed Chika’s door was shut and not presenting the usual disarray that was her room on the inside. At this hour the little punk and Shima would be having some sort of lively conversation. Mito shook her head and tried to ease the slight calamity in her mind.

 

“Ahh come on, they’re probably having a prepubescent hormone induced lovers’ quarrel or something, you know how brats are. Besides, they’ve been friends for ages, they’ll be fine.” Mito patted Shima on the back lightly. “I’ll go feed the trio of demons.”

 

The eldest Takami snorted, “They’re almost 18, I’m pretty sure puberty is a concern of the past.”

 

Mito waved her off. That was one brooding dummy dealt with. Just one more to go.

 

* * *

 

“Riko-chan! Riko-chan wake up!”

 

Chika started to realize that launching balled up socks at the pianist’s balcony window was a bad idea. The distance seemed convenient. That morning she snapped her eyes open as if her brain were on autopilot the moment it regained consciousness. She had sat up in her bed, anxiousness plastered on her facial features as memories of her promise to You flooded back into her mind. Talking to Riko was… fine! Chika could do it, she had done it thousands of times before.  She almost chickened out, but as with most difficult situations Aqour’s former leader has dealt with in her life, she honed the ever strong energy of her will and decided that for the sake of their friendship, she had to initiate the solution.

 

Even if she tanked this ‘conversation’ _horribly_.

 

By pair of sock number 5, a little bug eyed face popped out of the curtains from Riko’s balcony. ‘Twas none other than Prelude, her beautiful and slightly weird looking pug son.

 

“AH! Prelude! Hey! Hey boy! Is Riko-chan awake? Can you get her?”  Chika waved vigorously at the pup, receiving a perplexed head tilt in return.

 

“Can you go get Riko-chan! Yes you can! I know you can!”

Attempt number two with a baby voice seemed to do the trick. The small pug excitedly twirled around and wagged its curly tail before engaging in a barrage of loud bark squeaks. To Chika’s dismay though, instead of retrieving his owner, Prelude pressed his two front paws on the balcony window, staring expectantly at the girl on the other side. Chika whined and held her head- there were only so many pairs of socks she could fling across. She mentally kicked herself for not doing the regular thing and perhaps, use her cell phone. She put her arms and head down over the railings of her terrace to take a breath.

 

“Prelude? What the are you looking at? Stop making so much noi…...se…”

 

Fresh out of the shower with a towel still wrapped around her body, Riko ran towards the commotion her pup was making near the window. She figured another pigeon had the misfortune of falling victim to her large glossy windows. Nearing the balcony and moving one of the curtains aside, she dearly wished that were the case.

 

“Chika!? Oh no...oh no nno no no…”

 

Panic started to settle in her chest as her overactive imagination took her through 56 scenarios of Chika Takami telling her off and swearing to skin her alive if she ever came near You again. She could have easily closed the curtain and avoided the arduous pain of finding out what her classmate was doing sulking on her balcony, but her body had a fondness for staying frozen in place. Chika slowly lifted her head with a dejected look, until she saw her very wet friend staring back with wide yellow saucers that now matched her own crimson ones.  For a few seconds they simply stared, Riko clutching the front of her towel and Chka gripping the railing for dear life.

 

Against her better judgement, Riko gingerly opened the windows to her balcony, making sure Prelude didn’t try to burst through. It was warm out, but even a slight breeze made her shiver  as she realized she was still, foolishly naked.

 

“Are these your socks?” the towel clad of the pair asked as she picked off a colorful piece of clothing that had stuck to the bottom of her bare foot- she should really put on some clothes.

 

The accused laughed nervously and responded, “I uh, as soon as I woke up, um…  I thought about getting your attention this way and … it seemed like a good idea.” Chika sported one of her famous sheepish grins as she buried her hands deep into her pajama short pockets.

 

Riko’s mouth upturned the slightest amount as she shook her head. It was hard to feel nervous around a lovable goofball. The Chika of her imagination was a lot scarier than the one currently in front of her. One by one she threw the socks back at her best friend while keeping one hand secure around the front edge of her towel.

 

“There are cell phones nowadays Chika-chan.”

 

“That’s boring! I still got your attention didn’t I?” she swiftly caught her socks as they were launched across the distance.

 

“I suppose you did. So, what’s up?” the final garment was thrown, and Riko looked at her friend with expectant eyes.

 

“Do you wanna… get dressed first?” Chika blushed a deep red when she finally got a good look at Riko on the other side. She had seen her in swimsuits millions of times, even ‘accidentally’ looked up her skirt a few hundred more. For some reason however, the sight of pale, glistening soft skin was derailing her thoughts at a dangerous pace.

 

“Oh!,” Riko looked down at herself and pulled the damp towel tighter towards her chest, “Sorry is it weird? I’m too lazy to go back in and look for clothes, haha….”

 

“I-I mean, yeah, no… it’s not weird… all good!” _‘For the love of god she is not completely naked, get it together!’_ A quick pep talk and a soft scratch at the temples got things back on track.

 

The pianist smiled timidly, “Well?”

 

Chika’s demeanor turned into one of  cautious certainty. No more beating around the bush. The sun beaming on her face gave her a bit of comfort. “You-chan came to my house last night and told me what happened yesterday, with the...you know….” her voice trailed off.

 

With the air temperature suddenly rising a few degrees (seemingly), Riko looked down and let out a soft ‘Ah’ of acknowledgement. “I-I’m sure… everything was probably really weird and uncomfortable for her. I wanted to apologize to her and to you personally, you have my word that I won’t allow my feelings to get in the way of your relationship. From now on I’ll do my best to keep my dis-”

 

“NO!” Chika flung out her arms desperately, leaving Riko more than a tad startled.

 

“Sorry! I just mean, please dont keep your distance! Please!” Chika’s face was hot and she could feel her frustrations bubbling up. “I called you out here because I don’t want things to be weird between the three of us.  You-chan feels terrible about yesterday, she’s afraid of losing your friendship. We don’t want something like this to tear us apart after everything we’ve been through. She cares a lot about you you know. ”

 

The pianist’s eyes widened even further as she softly scratched the edge of her lip. “You-chan… said that?”

 

Chika smiled cutely at the blush that was beginning to form on her friend’s face. “Mm! And so do I. If it’s alright with you, I just really wanna put this whole thing behind us and make everything go back to normal!”

 

Ever so doubtful, amber eyes looked wistfully at the her feet. “But Chika-chan, you know that can’t happen right? Things going back to normal, I mean.”

 

“Why not? It’s no big deal right?” like a puppy, she tilted her head to the side.

 

Riko looked every bit as confused as she had been since the start of their conversation, if not more. “Wha...Chika-chan, aren’t you upset that I like your girlfriend? Or at the very least a little bothered?” Her brows furrowed as she attempted to decipher whether she was actually mid hallucination.

 

Chika shook her head ‘no’ firmly. “Riko-chan, I don’t blame you at all for having feelings for You-chan, it isn’t something anyone can easily avoid in my opinion” she chuckled as Riko’s face turned away in embarrassment, “We’ve all become so close, I think it’s only natural for these emotions to start developing between us.” Chika was sweating now, she was struggling to feign tranquility. Well, looked like she was actually about to do this.

‘ _Between us? What’s she talking about? Does she mean in general?’_ Riko’s mind was doing cartwheels.

 

“You know, the line between friendship and love is very blurred, do the specifics of our feelings really matter? We’re best friends, the three of us, we’ve been able to overcome everything and something like this shouldn’t hold us back now! You like her, I like her, we all like each other, it’s all the same!” Things were derailing quickly .

 

The slimmer girl shook her head in disbelief, “Chika, what are you talking about, You-chan is your girlfriend!”

  


‘She could be _your_ girlfriend too…” she half mumbled burning circles the railing with her eyes. Before she realized what she had just said, she noticed Riko almost completely lose her grip on the towel she was so tightly clutching on to.

 

They stared at each other in silence for a bit.

 

“...What did you say?’

 

“What.”

 

“Huh?”

 

“Huh.”

 

“CHIKA!”

 

“I…” her heart was beating fast and loud, she was sure the frazzled teen opposite of her could hear it. She’d really done it now.

 

“No… I heard what you said… y-you said… why would you say that?”

 

The popsicle head groaned loudly and pulled down on the sides of her head. “ I didn’t mean to...say that.”

 

“But you did! What do you mean You-chan can be my girlfriend too? Like, like sharing!? Have you lost your mind?”

 

Chika looked like she was in pain with her elbows on the railing and her hands covering her eyes. Two things could happen this morning. She could brush the whole thing off as being some kind of foggy minded blabbering, or she could just end everyone’s suffering and come clean with her own feelings- Of course, at the expense of possibly hurting the two people in the world she cared about the most. It was one of those predestined impulse moments that just happened at the wrong place at the wrong time, but delaying their occurrence does nothing to change the outcome.

 

“No no no, obviously I don’t mean like, sharing her like she’s a _thing_. I mean… it’s… it might be possible for people to like more than one person… you know... probably…and they might want to...be with those people...together... at the same time...” she held her breath.

 

“T-two people… at the same…” Riko’s eyes were one slight effort away from popping out of her skull, “ A-are you saying that, You-chan...she likes bo-”

 

“No, uh not exactly… I mean who knows, could be a possibility...” she limited herself to a volume that was slightly above a whisper.

 

Riko sighed and rubbed her face with her free hand. Seriously what the hell was going on right now? There were too many questions in her mind that she couldn’t even vocalize a single one.

 

“Riko-chan, do you think it’s possible for someone to like two people at once… like romantically?” Chika’s eyes had the most uncertain expression, she was doing her best to try and ease their way into the bombshell that was sure to be  the next 5 minutes of conversation.

 

“Uh, what? I guess, I… I don’t think it’s impossible.” The taller girl pressed her fingers to her lips as she seriously considered it. Polyamory was not very commonly witnessed in their actual day to day lives, but it wasn’t necessarily unusual either. If the feelings were strong enough, surely a bond between multiple partners wouldn’t be so- _wait why the heck was she asking?_

 

“Chika.” Riko’s tone was severe, “Stop dancing around it. You keep talking about someone between the three of us possibly having romantic feelings for more than one person, but you’re not making any sense! You just said it’s not You-chan, it’s definitley not me-” She sucked in a hard breath as she evaluated the obvious conclusion flashing inside of her brain. The process of elimination never failed.

 

“Chika…”

Said girl lowered her head in defeat and slight shame. Why did these things have to be so hard? Riko’s mind suddenly went into a frenzy. Who else did Chika like? Were her feelings for You wavering? Did You even know about these secret feelings? Was Chika planning to tell her? What the heck does all this have to do with Riko?

 

Seeing the clear distress on her best friend’s face, Chika decided, no more waiting.

 

“It’s you.”

 

The pianist furrowed her eyebrows in response, opening her mouth as if to say something but no sound came out.

 

“I like you, the same way I like You-chan.”

 

Riko couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She stopped breathing completely as she stared into Chika’s eyes. It was easy to tell when she was lying, and she didn’t think she’d ever seen a more genuine expression on the girl’s face before.

 

“I didn’t mean for this to happen,” the tangerine head’s voice began to quiver, “I don’t want You-chan to think I’m being unfaithful or something, it’s just the way I feel and I can’t do anything about it.” Soft, wet tears began to glide down her cheeks as she allowed her guilt to consume her, “I’ve tried for so long to just ignore them but it’s gotten so hard, I don’t know what to do anymore, I don’t know if this is right!”

 

Riko’s expression went from dumbfounded to concerned in half a millisecond. She could only imagine the internal turmoil Chika had been enduring this whole time. From experience, she knew attempting to subdue such heavy emotions was a draining ordeal, let alone have to juggle it along with maintaining a loving relationship. She kicked herself for ever doubting Chika’s affections for You. This whole situation became a mess in a matter of seconds, yes- but it made sense. It made sense Chika’s heart was big enough to accomodate the both of them. She suddenly felt a strong sense of urgency to be near her vulnerable friend and comfort her. Riko supposed this was similar to what You had felt that afternoon in the music room when she had unveiled herself to her. Huh.

 

“Chika-chan, please don’t cry” Granted, not the wisest thing she could have said, but her tone was sweet and comforting, and it did just the trick for Chika to go from a soft sob to small sniffles.

 

“Chika-chan, I just have one question.” the towel clad of the two approached her own railing dangerously close, leaning over it a bit and outstretching her free arm as much as she could towards the shorter girl. She knew physical contact produced a calming effect within the energetic girl.

 

Chika’s eyes lit up the slightest as Riko motioned for her to outstretch her own arm and hold her hand. She did just so, surprised that it didn’t take as much effort as the first time they attempted to do this. They both had grown quite a bit it seemed.

 

The pianist appreciated how soft and warm the student council president’s skin felt against her own- likely sweaty- palm. She gave her hand a tight squeeze.

 

“Are you absolutely positive that you feel the same way about You-chan and I?”

 

The characteristic look of determination returned to the Takami’s features as she squeezed back even tighter.

 

“Yes.”

 

Riko’s countenance turned bashful as she sighed deeply, “Then I do not think it’s wrong, if it’s what you truly, genuinely feel. It is… quite surprising to say the least but, if you can’t really help it then… I don’t know. But it’s definitely something worth talking to You-chan about.” She was still having trouble understanding how Chika could fall for someone as bland as her anyway, she probably had one sixteenth of the interesting qualities that made up both You and Chika.

 

Ever the mind-reader, the latter spoke up, “ You don’t believe I really like you that way, do you Riko-chan.”

 

Riko just blushed and looked away, attempting to retrieve her own hand from their grip only to be held onto tighter. Chika’s eyes shone intensity. She had her doubts every single moment leading up to this fated conversation, but right then, they had all vaporized. Talking about her confusions out loud had only made her realize how deeply she’d fallen into these two.

 

“C-Chika-”

 

“You already like You-chan, but do you think you could ever fall in love with me too?”

 

Tomatoes everywhere were envious of the bright rouge glowing on Riko’s now fully dry cheeks. How could the lovable idiot in front of her switch from vulnerable dame to irresistibly cool in less than a nanosecond? Held there, by the tight grip of her best friend (?) she could simply stare and let the speech be knocked out of her by the weight of her question.

 

They both failed to notice the wide cerulean saucers staring up at them from the bottom of the small alleyway separating the Sakurauchi household from the Takami Inn, heart beating so rapidly if they all stayed quiet for long enough, they’d probably be able to hear it.

 

So much for things going back to normal.


End file.
